 In the next instant he was slammed sideways, hitting the floor hard on his side. Someone, Lucas, and Porter he thought, shouted in his ear bud, “Go, go!” Sheer instinct had Declan scrambling to get up, both arms up and on the defensive. Solid brown eyes stared him down and someone, male, Declan was sure, grabbed at his throat, jaws snapping, screaming at him. Declan clearly saw fangs—a vampire. Something yellow and large streaked down through the opening and grabbed the attacking vampire from behind. “Hey!” Jonas hollered. With both arms around the man’s chest, Jonas shouted and yanked him back and farther away from Declan. Declan bounced to his feet and snatched up his Taser. The man Jonas held twisted his upper body while kicking furiously. His movements sent Jonas stumbling backward, hitting the outer wall. The hazmat suits were slightly slippery, and Jonas lost enough of his grip that the man shimmied away from him. In the next instant the guy was lunging at Jonas, slapping at him, arms flailing in a pinwheel motion. Jonas pulled back and even with the face shield in place Declan saw his utterly shocked expression. He gasped softly, blinked a few times, took one ultra-fast step forward then cranked back one arm and punched the vampire square in the face. Their assailant dropped like the proverbial stone to the floor. “Will you put the damn suit on?” Jonas snapped. “I need somewhere to take this guy.” “European HQ just sent me the passwords, I’m getting into the facility system now,” Blair said. “It’ll take me a minute or two.” “He looks familiar,” Jonas grumbled. Kai dropped through the opening and joined them. “Is he infected?”  Endosymbiont is available in eBook and Kindle Unlimited. Request the eBook from your local library!      My Rainbow Snippet today is from Electric Candle, book 2 of The Sleepless City (series cowritten with Anne Barwell).  Blair drank, suppressing a shudder from the taste and feel of the blood. When he was done, he grabbed one of the bottles of soda Forge had brought up and gulped it down in a few swallows to get rid of the flavor of blood. “I hate having to do that and being some freak of a monster.” Forge had moved on to something with noodles and shrimp. His hand, holding a fork, stopped en route to his mouth. He set the food down. “Is that what you think? Do you think I’m a monster?” “No! You’re a police detective! You fought in wars because you thought it was the right thing to do! You’re a hero. That’s good. Will all that restore your soul?” “Blair, I don’t know about souls, but I’m sure if you believe in them, you have one. You’re not undead, hell, you’re not even dead. And trust me, I’m no hero. Not by a long shot.” Read more snippets in the Rainbow Snippets Facebook group.  Electric Candle is available in eBook, paperback
and through Kindle Unlimited. BLOG TOUR 
Book Title: Our Uncle’s Promise Author and Cover Artist: Ruta Levu Publisher: Book Writing Maestros Release Date: July 31, 2025 Genre: LGBT Non-fiction Themes: Family love, loss, two straight older people, two gay men, coming out and learning to smile again Heat Rating: No sexual content Length: 367 pages It is a standalone book Buy Links - Hardback, Paperback, and ebook Barnes & Noble | Amazon US | Amazon UK 
Pierre was the turkey demon from hell. Sina was demoted from she-demon status to rabid squirrel with active rabies status. Ruta was the unicorn that farts rainbows and saw the evilness of Sina, the rabid squirrel with active rabies. Blurb This is a story about two grandparents, two gay uncles and four little girls growing up in the 1970s and 1980s. The girls’ mother had passed away and their father was transferred by the military so the maternal grandparents and uncle raised the girls. The book is about learning to smile and laugh after loss. Also, this story includes a mean turkey named Pierre and a sassy adorable diva. This story is about loss but also about unconditional love and the adventures with fun loving uncles around the San Francisco Bay Area. The story goes through the heart break that the little girls should not have had to face so young, but they were rescued by their grandparents and their loving uncles. The four little girls learned that there is a rainbow after the rain and that you can laugh and smile after loss. In our lifetime a door may have closed but a window opened for unconditional love and an occasional disco dance with the uncles. Excerpt Chapter 10 It was Halloween of 1974, and I have to admit, my costume was awesome. Sina, though, looked like a boring farmer’s wife or whatever lives on a farm. “You girls look so adorable! Aww…” Uncle Rueben praised, reaching out to hug us close. “No, Uncle Rueben, don’t hug us yet,” I warned. “I don’t want my red cape to get all wrinkled and smashed.” I held up my hands to ward off the hug coming our way. On Halloween night in 1974, Sina was dressed like Dorothy from the movie The Wizard of Oz. I was dressed as Red Riding Hood with a kick-butt red cape. Oli wore a Casper the Friendly Ghost costume and mask. I have to admit, I was A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E with a capital A, but I knew I had to stay humble. Sina looked like a boring farmer’s wife in a blue checkered dress and red shoes. My red cape, on the other hand, made me feel like I could save the world—or at least that’s how I felt wearing it. Rueben drove us to a swanky part of San Francisco, known for giving out full-size candy bars. “All you girls stay by my side. No running ahead, and always hold each other’s hands when going up to a door. Never leave my side unless I give you permission, okay?” With the safety instructions given, Rueben led the way with a nod of his head. Back in the 1970s, everyone seemed to give out candy, and all the kids dressed up for Halloween. As we made our way from house to house, Uncle Rueben could be heard shouting, “Oli, don’t let go of my hand yet!” or “Sina, Ruta, don’t run too far ahead of me!” “Hold Oli’s hand now and go up to the door. Be nice and say thank you when they give you candy,” Uncle Rueben called as we hurried toward a house with its porch light on. Ring. Ring. Sina usually pressed the doorbell. We waited in excitement. A few moments passed. No one answered. We were the only kids at that door. Ring. Ring. “I don’t think anyone’s giving out candy at this house,” Sina said with a sigh. We had almost turned around when the door creaked open, and a strange fog rolled out from within. Suddenly, a lady in ragged white clothes appeared, arms raised, screaming in our faces! “Aah! Aah! Aah!” The three of us screamed right back at the scary ghost lady! I dropped Oli’s hand like a hot rock and bolted from the porch. I thought we had all run, but apparently, that wasn’t the case. In that moment, I didn’t care if Sina or Oli made it out—I was in danger of being killed! I figured I just needed to be faster than Oli, and I’d be safe. “You only have to outrun the slowest person,” was something Grandma and Pop used to say when watching TV shows. Plus, I wasn’t that attached to Oli. She could always flash her dimpled smile, and maybe the killer scary ghost lady would spare her. Honestly, I didn’t care if either of them was left behind—all I knew was it was every girl for herself. And I should add: not only did I save myself, but I also made sure to save my candy bag. Apparently, danger didn’t mean leaving behind my hard-earned candy stash. “Run, Uncle Rueben! Let’s go!” I screamed, racing toward where the car was parked. We were going to make it! I didn’t care who else survived. Uncle Rueben, however, didn’t seem to grasp the gravity of our situation. He was doubled over, laughing hysterically. Fine—let the killer scary ghost lady get him. Then I stopped in my tracks. NO! Uncle Rueben had to survive—he was our ride home! Little did I know that Sina was right behind me until I turned to look for Uncle Rueben. Of course, she hadn’t warned him to run like I had. She only cared about herself. Big question—who was going to drive us home? I couldn’t drive. Sina couldn’t drive. Uncle Rueben had to survive. Unlike me, Sina had no long-term vision. Uncle Rueben was still bent over, laughing. Oli was hugging his legs. How could he laugh? Did he not realize we were all in mortal danger? Uncle Rueben walked confidently towards the danger, and I saw him pick up Oli’s shoe that she lost trying to run or whatever she did, away from the killer scary ghost lady. “Run, Uncle Rueben! Come on, you’re in danger!” I shouted. Sina and myself were breathing like we had just ran a few miles when we had only run a half block. I started noticing other kids staring at us, and parents chuckling. Did I mention that adults sometimes have no sense of urgency? What was wrong with them? Did they not realize there was a killer scary ghost lady in that house? Finally, Uncle Rueben reached us and the car. It took him forever, but at least he was still alive. About the Author Ruta Levu, the unicorn that farts rainbows., is currently married and lives in the Pacific Northwest. Ruta has a daughter and five fur babies. I am the crazy cat lady on the block and proud of it. I speak with and see my sisters often. I still bring my glittery joy and happiness to my sisters’ lives to this day. Author Links 
99c/99p Book Blast
Book Title: Now Comes the Dark Author: Thom Collins Publisher: Pride Publishing / Entwined Publishing Cover Artist: Claire Siemaszkiewicz Release Date: February 11, 2025 Pairing: Contemporary Dark MM Romance Tense/POV: Third person Genres: Thriller/Mystery/Suspense Tropes: Instant lust, serial killer, community Themes: Erotic thriller Heat Rating: 4 flames Length: 63 000 words It is the first book in a new series, but works as a complete standalone It does not end on a cliffhanger. Buy Links Currently available for 99c/99p Universal Link | Amazon US | Amazon UK
Two strangers fuelled by desire, and a killer consumed with lust. Blurb Roman Ballentyne is forced to make some changes. The city he loves is no longer safe. Tensions are high as a psychotic killer preys upon the LGBTQ community. Five men have been murdered in the last year. Every encounter is a risk. Anyone could be next. The Viaduct was once the shame of Blyham, an illicit club filled with private booths and dark rooms, sleazy in the extreme. Now it offers a secure space to hook up when it’s too dangerous to take a stranger home. Mallon Garnier catches Roman’s eye. He’s moody and mature and the hottest man in the club, but as Mallon pairs up with someone else, Roman thinks he’s missed his chance. When Roman is the victim of a hate crime at the end of the night, Mallon is his saviour, taking on his attackers with savage efficiency. Their attraction is immediate and intense. Roman knows it’s wrong to go home with a stranger, but what harm can there be from the man who saved him? The encounter is the start of an intense and passionate affair. But as the murders continue, Roman learns Mallon is keeping a deep secret, and the killer is closer than he thinks.
Excerpt The Vermont Hotel had been a part of Roman’s life for as long as he had lived in Blyham. As a student, he used to work seasonal shifts in their Michelin-starred restaurant and had covered tables at one of their many corporate events. These days, he could see it’s majestic ten story structure from the other side of the river on his journey to and from work. But in all those years, he had not set foot inside one of the bedrooms…until tonight. He had been surprised when Mallon told him where he was staying. From his laid-back attitude and street-fighting ways, he’d expected him to have a room in one of the budget chain hotels, of which Blyham had six, situated in all areas of the city. He should have known better than to judge a man by his appearance. The Vermont stood out among the crowd of high-end bars, restaurants, shops and hotels that dominated Blyham’s chic waterfront district. It was the jewel in a gentrified crown. They arrived by Uber. No more taking chances on the dangerous streets. Mallon showed his room card to the twenty-four-hour concierge, and they crossed the marbled floor of the reception. There were still people drinking in the hotel’s foyer bar. He knew there was another bar, on the roof terrace, though Roman doubted that would be serving at this hour. They entered the lift alone, and Mallen pressed the button for the seventh floor. As soon as the doors closed, he was on Roman. He grasped his head in both hands and kissed him. Roman was a few inches taller than Mallon, but the older man dominated him in every way, pushing him against the wall of the elevator and shoving his tongue into his mouth. Roman gripped his shoulders, surrendering as Mallon ground his bulge against his hips. The passion of the kiss disarmed him. Roman’s legs trembled as he thrust his tongue against Mallon’s, experiencing the heat of his breath, the raspy contact of their stubbled skin. Few of the men he had met on a casual basis were into kissing. Many of them refused to do it, and those who did were often terrible. Not Mallon. This guy knew how to kiss and make it count. Roman squirmed, grinding his hips against his cock, discerning its size and girth. It had been completely concealed by Cameron’s greedy mouth in the club, and he had no idea what to expect, but from the way Mallon pressed it onto him, he would not be disappointed. The doors open. Mallon slid a hand around Roman’s waist and shoved it down the back of his jeans, cupping his arse. His fingers slithered into the sweaty crack. Roman caught a quick breath. This man was bold. He knew what he wanted and went for it. As they walked along the corridor, Mallon’s fingertip found the hot opening, and traced the rim. “Tonight, your ass is mine.” Roman nodded and licked his lips. His mouth was dry. “Yes. It’s all yours.” “To do what I want with?” “Anything.” His insides tightened, and a fire of need burned in his butt like nothing he’d known. They reached the door of his room. Mallon swiped the card, and they went inside. It was more than a hotel room. There was a large seating area with a sofa, armchair and coffee table, and the bedroom was around an L-shaped bend. This had to be one of the junior suites. Roman had heard of them but didn’t know what to expect. The décor was all cream, beige and gold, illuminated by multiple side lights strategically placed around the room. Whatever Mallon did for a living, whatever had brought him to Blyham, had to be worth a lot of money. About the Author Thom Collins is the author of the Jagged Shores series and the Anthem Trilogy as well as numerous standalone novels and novellas. His new series Basic Instincts launches in spring 2025 with the novel Now Comes the Dark. Thom has lived in the North East of England his whole life. He grew up in Northumberland and now lives in County Durham with his husband and two cats. He loves all kinds of genre fiction, especially bonk-busters, thrillers, romance and horror. He is also a cookery book addict with far too many titles cluttering his shelves. When not writing he can be found in the kitchen trying out new recipes. He’s a keen traveler but with a fear of flying that gets worse with age, but in 2013 he realized cruising is the best way to see the world. Check out his website for news updates and a free ebook The Night Social Media Links Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Newsletter Sign-up
 Jay wasn’t sure if he should be excited or nervous about dinner, but Eric didn’t give him the chance to really worry about it much. He drove with Eric to the sheriff’s office and collected the reports Eric wanted to look through. Eric was amazing, and Jay was sure he’d never grow tired of watching the man. He charmed even the sourest person they encountered with seemingly no effort at all. Eric would ask in a low, easy voice, leaning casually closer to whomever he spoke to, and people fell all over themselves wanting to do his bidding. A chill slipped its way up and down Jay’s spine as thoughts of his first encounter with Eric skipped happily through his head. Jay considered it his own personal miracle that Eric was interested in spending more time with him, making Jay his own. The best part was Eric seemed completely oblivious of his effect and power. Jay wasn’t oblivious. His groin certainly wasn’t. Neither was his heart. Taking the sheriff’s files, they headed to the resort for dinner. Jay had suggested they eat there and felt a thrill of excitement tingle through his limbs when Eric gladly agreed. He was proud of the resort and the meals prepared in the dining hall. Sharing that with Eric was suddenly very important. Jay really wanted Eric to like the resort. The soft smile Eric offered made Jay’s heart and stomach flutter with excitement. “So, what’s good?” Eric settled across from him and glanced around the dining room. “This is nice.” “Everything, of course.” Jay grinned. “Since you’re an employee, you can eat here whenever you want. Tomorrow we’ll get your ID badge and you just show it to the cashier.” Eric grinned. “I like that fringe benefit.” “Everyone does,” Jay laughed. When their food arrived they spent a few minutes doing nothing but eating. Jay realized he was famished. The meal cleared his head and settled his nerves and stomach as much as possible until he’d look at Eric. Finally gathering some courage, he leaned forward a bit. “So, why did you really move here and take this position?” Eric glanced down at the table as if he was weighing some heavy decision. When he looked back up, Jay knew Eric was about to take a big chance; it was written all over his face. “Two reasons actually. I decided it was time to look for another job when my superior’s daughter decided she and I should be a bit more friendly than I was comfortable with.” “Yeah, guess you didn’t want everyone knowing about you being gay.” “It wasn’t that so much as I didn’t like her.” Jay took a sip of his iced tea, nodding for Eric to continue. “Pretty enough girl. She was an underwear model, and I don’t think rejection was in her vocabulary.” Gagging, Jay barely avoided spraying iced tea across the table and Eric. “You turned down an underwear model? What man, gay or otherwise, does that? Isn’t that against the man code or something?” Eric laughed. Jay loved his laugh; it was rich and full and honest. “It’s against this man’s code. I have nothing against women, been with a few, they’re okay, but this girl? She was a bitch! I mean she made it her religion or something. Anyway, her dad didn’t think rejection should be in her vocabulary either, and he tried making my life miserable.” “So you decided to find something else?” Hitching one shoulder up for a second, Eric reached over and tapped the leather carry bag he’d stuffed all the files into. “I read about the killings here and when I heard about the offer of a job, that was what made me decide to move.” “The dead bodies interested you?” “Sort of.” Eric leaned forward and lowered his voice. “I know how nuts this is going to sound, but I’ve spent years studying serial killings and collecting data from all over the country. About five years ago, there was a series of murders near Cleveland. There were six killings and then they stopped. No one was caught, no reason for them to stop. No reason for them to happen that anyone could find. The thing is, these killings here are the exact same.” “So, you think it’s the same person?”      Griff closed his eyes for a few beats and drew another deep breath. Opening his eyes, he looked around at his friends and coworkers. This could have gone a whole other way, with them believing a lover’s spat had caused Clint to leave. He’d never been more grateful in his life when he said, “Thank you.” After securing his house, Griff went with them back downtown to their office. Every time the phone rang or a computer chimed, Griff jumped, waiting for someone to bring him bad news. “Stop that.” Candice sat opposite him at their big conference table. “Think positive. We’ve no evidence Clint is anything but alive. This Dylan Hatchet is obsessed with him and probably thinks he’s in love with Clint. As long as Clint keeps his head and we can find them in the next few days, he’ll come out of this alive.” “How do you do that?” Griff asked. Candice waved him off. “We have the preliminaries from the lab. The urine belonged to a man, the blood to a different man, and the saliva?” She paused. Griff raised his eyebrows when she held up a plastic tube with a swab inside. “Canine. We gotta go get personal with your dog.” Griff stayed put when she stood and headed to the door. “Personal how?” “Cheek swab.” Candice rolled her eyes and dipped her head at the door. “I’m betting we find out any DNA traces on that bat match the blood.” Phoenix was only too happy to oblige when Candice and Griff showed up and the cotton swab was swirled around inside his lips. He stood, wagging his tail, and gave Griff a few licks when it was all over. Griff patted the big dog’s shoulder. “You are a good dog.” He scratched between Phoenix’s ears and gave Fern a belly rub and made them a promise. “He’ll be home soon. We all will.” They were in the car driving back to their office when Griff’s phone rang. He put it on speaker. “We got lucky big time,” Jim said. “The park where Clint’s phone was dumped was a city park a block from a police station. Not only was the phone found in a trash can along with clothes, jeans, and a T-shirt, but security cameras caught what happened. They sent us footage and pictures of the clothes. The jeans had been soaked in urine, which was dry when they found it. We should have analysis by tomorrow.” “Can you e-mail the pictures?” Candice asked. “Already got them,” Griff said. He didn’t have to spend a lot of time looking at the pictures. “Those are the clothes Clint was wearing when I left yesterday morning.” Closing his eyes for a few beats, Griff bit down on his lip. He wanted to say he’d bought that shirt for Clint, but it was impossible to put that additional detail into words. “We also found out Dylan Hatchet had a second part-time job for a landscaper. About ten days ago, Hatchet reported the company van he was driving that day was stolen. Get this: the plates were recovered three days ago… in Toledo, Ohio,” Jim said. “So,” Candice said, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel. “Hatchet has a stolen van he could have painted by now and likely stolen plates that could be from any state between here and Minnesota.” “Griff, despite your best efforts to screw up evidence in Clint’s car when you searched it, there were trace amounts of blood found inside, soaked into the seat fabric. Matches the blood we found in your house,” Jim said. “Thanks. We’ll be upstairs in a few minutes,” Griff said and ended the call. “There’s something I’ve been wondering, and I think this answers that question. How the hell did this guy get Clint out of the house without anyone seeing anything? I know it was the middle of the day, but every time I’ve been on your street, people are around. While you were gone I interviewed a few of your neighbors. The blind lady who lives in the house kitty-corner across the street from you heard a different vehicle’s engine, which sort of amazes me. She thought the car might have pulled into your drive or the house next to you.” “I already know no one was home in the house just east of me. What about the house on the other side? They have two little kids and are outside with them a lot,” Griff said. “They were gone for the day—went to the zoo,” Candice said. “The man across from you works nights and he was asleep. The family with the landscaping business had their crews out from dawn and no one came home until it was getting dark. It seems like the timing of this was thought out, and we know he was watching your house at various times.” She stopped talking for the few minutes it took her to park the car. “Clint’s a big guy. Here’s my theory. Hatchet moves Clint’s car and pulls his stolen van up to your side door. Really, would you notice if Clint’s car wasn’t exactly in the same spot, moved a foot or so?” Griff shook his head. “No. And the part of the driveway closest to the side door is between our house and the neighbor’s. It would be possible to get something or someone out of the house and into the van without being seen.” Griff stopped and grabbed Candice’s arm. “All the urine. Clint had a seizure.” “Is that something he does?” “No, it’s not. What’s the statistic? More than 50 percent of people put in a choke hold and rendered unconscious have a seizure while waking up.” The whole thought made Griff sick. Candice grabbed her wrist and mimicked the act of using a choke hold. “Hatchet chokes Clint out, and by some miracle doesn’t kill him since I’m sure he never had training. That gives him a minute or less to fight off your dog, restrain Clint, and get him out of the house and into a van.” “So what else did he use, stolen Isoflurane? How? And where did he take Clint?”      ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION and FREE READ 
The Soho Knights Series by Oliver Takely Welcome to the Soho Knights series, where friendship and love intertwine in the heart of London. Meet Charlie, Langdon, Paolo, Gregory, and Jason, five best friends who became brothers during their university days, each carrying their own scars and dreams. Now, six years later, they share an incredible flat in vibrant Soho, but one thing still eludes them: their true loves and HEA. Each book in the series follows one of these remarkable men on his journey to find love, while their unbreakable bond of friendship remains the cornerstone of their lives. Join them as they discover that while love may be complicated, true friendship is forever. All the books can be read as standalone, but book five crosses the timeline with the others, so that is best read after the others, but can still be enjoyed by itself. Genre: Contemporary MM Romance Themes: Found family Tense/POV: third person, alternating POV Overall Heat Rating for the series: 4 flames Publisher: MM Romance Press Cover Artist: Emily’s World of Design 
BOOK DETAILS BOOK 1 - Free from September 22 - 26 Book Title: Perfect Night Length: 65 000 words Release Date: September 23, 2024 Tropes: Age gap, long distance, billionaire/hustler, instalove Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited Free from September 22 - 26
The gay version of Pretty Woman you’ve all been waiting for. Blurb In the vibrant streets of London, Charlie is struggling to make ends meet. To afford his mother’s care facility, he’s taken on a risky side job that forces him to sell his body. Life is tough, but Charlie remains resilient, finding solace in the camaraderie of his four best friends. BOOK 2 Book Title: Dangerous Attraction Length: 60 000 words Release Date: November 20, 2024 Tropes: Bisexual rep, second chances, workplace romance, stalker Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited 
What if Fatal Attraction was gay, and Glenn Close was played by a sassy twink? Blurb In the dark streets of Soho, London, where the nightlife pulses with energy and hidden dangers, Langdon is striving to carve out a life of his own. Having endured a tough childhood, marked by a mother who never valued him, he has found solace in the company of his four best friends, who feel like brothers. Although he thrives working in a bar, Langdon is haunted by his past, feeling like a dirty secret to the men he dates. BOOK 3 Book Title: Stolen Dream Length: 60 000 words Release Date: March 5, 2025 Tropes: First love, forbidden love, second chance, demisexual rep Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited 
In a world that tried to change them, love becomes their greatest rebellion Blurb At just eighteen, Paolo and Max meet at a conversion therapy camp. Abandoned by their families. left to endure literal hell on earth, their love is forbidden. Their secret romance grows and as they make plans to escape, they are brutally torn apart. BOOK 4 Book Title: Convenient Rivals Length: 60 000 words Release Date: April 30, 2025 Tropes: Enemies to lovers, class privilege, nerd top/jock bottom, mild kink, fake relationship Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited 
Can love blossom from the ashes of rivalry, or will family ties tear them apart? Blurb In the heart of London, where privilege and ambition collide, Gregory and Oscar's tumultuous past threatens to resurface in unexpected ways. Once childhood friends, their relationship took a dark turn when Oscar became Gregory's high school bully. Now successful in their own right, their paths continue to intertwine due to the dysfunctional bond between their mothers. While Oscar seeks to atone for his past, Gregory remains trapped in a cycle of hurt and betrayal. BOOK 5 Book Title: Broken Promises Length: 65 000 words Release Date: August 5, 2025 Tropes: Hurt comfort, Age gap, Second chances, Neurodivergent rep, Daddy kink Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited 
Jason’s love life: a rom-com, a tragedy, and a crime thriller all in one. Blurb Jason is successful, confident, and unlovable. Living in the heart of Soho with his found family brothers, he masks his trauma with more sass than you can throw glitter at. After love burned him once, he vowed never to let it happen again. One night, one time, no attachments. That’s how he survives and protects his heart. Excerpt From Perfect Night The guy he’d crashed into was sex on a stick. A big, tall, muscular stick. He was another one wearing a suit and had to be six foot five. He towered over Charlie’s respectable five foot eleven. The black hair, slate-blue eyes and five o’clock shadow were checking more of Charlie’s boxes. After a few seconds of literally drooling, Charlie realised the guy had hold of his arms as he’d steadied him. “Sorry,” he spluttered. “No problem at all. Are you okay?” He had a strange accent, a blend of American and British. “Was that guy giving you trouble?” Oh God, he’s nice as well. There had to be something wrong with him. Nobody was this perfect. He felt like a horny teenager again, wanting to get his hands and tongue all over that body. It took all his restraint to not start humping Spartacus’s leg. Until he had a name, ‘Spartacus’ was what he was going with. He had a gladiator vibe about him. Woof! “It’s fine. He did me a favour by sending me your way.” Oh my God, did I just say that? Kill me now! “I’m Sebastian.” He smiled, holding out his hand. Sebastian was an even hotter name than Spartacus. Charlie wasn’t sure why; it was just a fact. There was also something about Sebastian. He shook Charlie’s hand, which was formal, but didn’t seem out of place. The guy just oozed confidence. Charlie wondered if that confidence transferred to the bedroom. He needed to stop with those thoughts, or the leg-humping would be an embarrassing reality. “Charlie,” he said, introducing himself. “Are you here with anyone?” “Just my flatmate, who was humping the leg of some bear when I left him.” Sebastian laughed. It changed his face completely. This was a guy who was confident and controlled, yet when he let go, Charlie could see there was a fun side. Charlie wanted to know it all. “Can I buy you a drink?” Sebastian asked. Charlie would be stupid to say no. He didn’t know why a guy like this was giving him the time of day, but he’d had a shit week, so he was just going to go with it. Charlie agreed. Sebastian took his hand, which was sweet and possessive at the same time. The crowd seemed to part, probably because of Sebastian’s size. A few twinks spotted their joined hands and glared with jealousy. It was a heady feeling, and Charlie was enjoying it while it lasted. About the Author Oliver Takely is a passionate MM romance author who revels in dark, edgy stories featuring complex, flawed characters. With years of writing experience and a creative day job, Oliver Takely is also an avid reader of MM romance, consuming 300 books in both 2023 and 2024. His favourite trope is enemies to lovers, but is also a sucker for a feel-good Christmas romance. Originally from the north, Oliver now resides in the south of England with his husband and their beloved fur baby, who is treated like a princess, living their own happily-ever-after straight out of a romance novel. When not writing or reading, he enjoys holidays and indulging in lots of good food, because who doesn’t love a delicious combination? Author Links Website | Facebook | Instagram 
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Book Title: Into the Gray Scale Author: Oge Mobuogwu Publisher: Reboshke Publishing Cover Artist: Rafael Andres of CoveKitchen Release Date: November 6, 2024 Pairing: MM, MMF Genres: Dark Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy A sleuth crime dark fantasy based on folklore and physics Heat Rating: 3 flames Length: 305 pages Is it a standalone book and does not end on a cliffhanger. Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited 
Dead men can’t catch killers. But maybe with the right help, they can bend the rules from the afterlife. Blurb Drug dealer AJ has just discovered he’s been murdered. Trapped in the surreal complexities of the afterlife, he realizes he’s still bound in service to his killer, the ruthless drug kingpin Governor Tyson. Meanwhile, homicide detective Maleek Shapiro is closing in on "skooches", an enigmatic and dangerous drug at the heart of the case. As Shapiro edges closer to proving the case against the governor, the investigation throws him into a maze of mystical experiences, unsettling encounters, and nightmarish realms where the boundaries between life and death—and dreams and reality—blur. Dead bodies begin to pile up as the untouchable governor storms towards his sinister goals without regard for consequences. Can Shapiro, with AJ’s help from beyond the grave, stop the governor or will they all be sacrificed at the altar of his personal ambitions? A poetic, spiritual and gripping exploration of the human psyche and the thin line between life and death, INTO THE GRAY SCALE blends dark fantasy with crime drama, unraveling raw emotions and surreal twists that challenge the boundaries of reality itself! Excerpt His space had become a numbing static, like the sound that came out of old television sets when the networks closed out for the day. It was like a sad score one heard whenever his mess of a life played out. The muffled sounds coming from the TV in the living room, the loud clicking of the old grandpa clock that hung in the kitchen for no justifiable reason, as if taunting him on how much of a waste of time his existence was, and of course the humming of the microwave, the only source of comfort in his life presently. Beep. His meal was ready. At the dining, he knew Michelle made every effort to ignore him. Her aloofness, in her nightgown, legs folded up on the sofa, playing with her hair while staring at the TV, had become a constant image for him. He knew exactly what he would find her doing every night, no matter what time he came home. He knew the posture and particular positions she took. He wondered if he would ever ask why she watched Jerry Springer every night, however perfectly the chaos from the show mirrored their life. He wondered how surprised he would be coming home one day to find her doing something else or better still, dead. It gave him comfort, thinking about finding her dead, maybe from a heart attack or a razor to the wrist or some freak accident. Who cared? He usually thought about her when he watched “A Thousand Ways to Die.” He finished cleaning the countertop and used area, then took the food take out pack to the trash. Very conspicuously placed in the open bin was an unwrapped used tampon. It was red and gorged with blood, sitting in the middle and on top on the trash. Clearly, she dropped them just when he was about to get in. He should have gotten used to it already but still, he allowed himself to get shocked every time. It was going to be throughout the current period. From his mental count she had a day or two to go. He was still visibly upset when he got outside with the trash, a lot with Michelle for being such a psychopath but also with himself and the situation he’d allowed himself to get into. As he smoked later that night in a private make-shift man cave behind the house, he let his thoughts travel far still. He thought about Tana and chastised himself for being so callous earlier that day. He thought about his eight-year-old marriage and how quickly it had deteriorated, about Michelle and her lack of forgiveness, and the tampon tantrum she threw every month. He still wished her dead, though. He needed to escape. Sometimes he envied those in prison for being so far away from it all. He wondered why it never occurred to him to take his own life, if he would ever get to that point or if he’d have the guts if he ever did but, in that moment, he hoped he would have the guts to shoot Michelle instead. * It had stopped being because he was horny, the frequency didn’t even allow him to get horny anymore. It was more a routine, an establishment of comfortable familiarity and most importantly, an exit point for stress. It wasn’t necessarily pleasure either. Okay, of course it was a bit of pleasure, but it was an important hand-picked routine to end the day. The last time he didn’t masturbate before bed, he did not sleep throughout the night and had a messy day afterward. As he stroked, he focused his mind on his wife, her nonchalance ever so defiant, on ASCHA and its deadness, his chaotic life that managed to stay uneventful at the same time, his disapproving father, Angela Blaine and her smirk-laced stupid face that seemed to say, “I’d have fucked you but you’re way below the pay grade,” and instead resorted to mocking him with her every gaze; on the ASCHA co-workers and their scheming, the inmates that bored him with their constant meaningless chatter, his dead neighborhood and the prison he found his life in. Eyes tightly closed; he ran these thoughts in his mind like a slide show, as his stroking became more vigorous. In his mind, the images and people stopped swirling and finally gathered into a pile, like rubbish, his own failures at the top on that pile. He spread his legs as if in a real simulation, stroking and breathing harder and ejaculated on top all the pile, letting out a deep muffled groan. As he steadied his breathing under the running shower, he allowed himself wonder if he wasn’t a psychopath himself, just like his wife. Maybe they were meant for each other after all. Was he the only one who got off on such images? But his was a ritual, a coping mechanism, and a way to say “fuck you” to it all. It was better than taking an assault rifle to Angela’s office. That thought only crossed his mind once. In the bedroom, Michelle lay backing his side of the bed, awake but pretending to sleep, deliberately leaving him little space as if she wanted to be asked to move. Standing by and staring at her, he in turn wondered if it wasn’t her deliberate attempt to initiate communication. Was she tired of her tampon tantrums? They actually hadn’t had a single conversation in two years. Not one. The house routine was so set they didn’t even need to discuss food or bills. They simply found their place and moved on. He took a pillow and walked out the door. After he left, she opened her eyes and raised her head to glance at the shut door.. About the Author Author Links Website | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok 
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My snippet this week is from Whiskey and Moonshine!  A round of goodbyes, and Mal and Colt were alone in the SUV, sitting close, hands clasped together. “Are you sure about this?” Mal asked in a very soft voice. Colt nodded and licked his lips. All evening since leaving the studio, his cock had been full enough to be pleasant but not uncomfortable, and he had found it almost impossible to take his eyes off Mal for too long. Maybe it was the fact Mal had booked one room for them, and Colt knew what was coming. Or maybe it was how Mal planned this romantic evening and did so with subtlety and so much thought and obvious care. Whatever the reason, in Colt’s eyes, Mal had become the most attractive man on the planet. Objectively no one would deny Mal was a handsome man, but for Colt, his appeal had much more to do with his kind and generous heart. Making Mal happy was fast becoming Colt’s top priority. Colt gazed directly at Mal. “I’ve never been more sure about anything.” Read more snippets in the Rainbow Snippet Facebook group!  Whiskey and Moonshine is available in eBook, paperback and through Kindle Unlimited. Ask for the eBook at your local library.
Colt hadn’t expected Mal to come after him. He’d hoped it would happen but was still unprepared when Mal showed up. Phillipe was meeting him at a coffee shop and then would drive Colt back to Phillipe’s apartment. It was a nice day, so Colt decided to walk the few blocks, grab some coffee and a snack, and wait for Phillipe in a small park across the street. Hands full of his order, Colt slid out the double front door as a group of people walked in the other side. He had to hold the bag with his name on it up when a small child ran by so he didn’t bash the kid’s head with his bacon-and-cheese sandwich. Once on the sidewalk, he juggled everything in one hand for a few seconds so he could wrestle his phone from his pocket to let Phillipe know where he’d be waiting. Someone bumped into him from behind, and he almost lost the coffee and chai. “Sorry,” he grumbled, even though he wasn’t at fault. The person behind him shoved harder against his back, and Colt thought he, or she, had stumbled and fallen, using Colt to catch themselves. He started to turn around and see what was going on—possibly he could assist—when a second person pushed him from the side. “What the…?” The cardboard tray with the hot drinks tumbled from Colt’s hand and hit the pavement. Colt barely had the chance to process that when someone grabbed his arm from behind. The second person slapped the bag of food from his other hand and grabbed his other arm. He was trapped between them and hustled around the corner into an alley. Colt tried to yank his arms free and turn the tables with a few of the moves Mal had taught him. He failed miserably and ended up with his face slammed into a wall. “Look at you, all dressed up. I tried to talk to you in Nashville, but I guess you’re too good for your old buddies.” He knew that voice. The hair on the back of his neck rose, and gooseflesh pebbled his skin. A shudder ran down Colt’s spine. “Nice clothes, fancy haircut, and little Colt thinks he’s all that and a bag of chips,” a second voice sneered. Memory of pain accompanied the voice. “Saw you on TV. We want in on your scam.” “There’s no scam. It’s a legit job,” Colt ground out, then grunted at a sharp punch delivered to his lower back. His knees buckled, and he would have crumpled to the ground had his assailant not been holding him against the wall. One of the men spun Colt around and slammed him into the wall again. He squinted at his two captors. “Su-Sully?” Colt stammered. “I’m your new business partner,” Sully growled. He drew back his arm and hit Colt hard enough that his head bounced off the wall and small, bright white stars burst across his vision. “Car’s down there,” the second voice said. Colt knew it too but couldn’t put a name to that man. They dragged Colt down the alleyway, farther from the street. It ran parallel to a long, flat building with doors spaced at regular intervals. Parking lot? Colt processed the thought too slowly. It didn’t matter. Sully shoved Colt into a car and climbed in after him, jabbing a gun into his side. He put a sack over Colt’s head and tied it tightly around his neck. Then he bound Colt’s arms behind him while his partner hobbled Colt with a rope around his ankles. Panic surged through Colt, and he started shouting through the sack and throwing his body back and forth. This couldn’t happen now, not with things unsettled between Mal and him. “Shut up,” Sully snapped. He punched Colt in the stomach rapid-fire until Colt started to gag. Colt slumped into a ball, in pain and afraid.  Ask for the eBook through your local library digital catalog   |
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